via Daily Telegraph NZ

New Zealand Food Safety’s decision to retain strict glyphosate residue limits on cereals marks a major victory for public health advocates — but campaigners warn that loopholes and weak enforcement still undermine the outcome.

Following more than 3,100 submissions, the regulator confirmed residue caps for wheat, barley, and oats will remain at 0.1 mg/kg, with pre-harvest spraying now banned on human-consumption grain. However, No More Glyphosate NZ says the review “only formalised what industry had already done” as many millers and exporters had long restricted glyphosate use to meet overseas market standards.

While the cereal outcome was hailed as progress, the group noted peas will still carry a higher 6 mg/kg limit in line with international trade norms. The ban also doesn’t extend to animal feed, raising concerns about cross-contamination and indirect exposure through meat, milk, and eggs. Equally troubling, the group says past breaches — including wheat samples testing nearly 60 times over the legal limit — went unpunished, with regulators treating limits as guidelines rather than enforceable rules.

No More Glyphosate NZ also criticised regulators for relying on outdated 1990s nutrition data and ignoring risks posed by glyphosate-based formulations such as Roundup®, which contain untested co-formulants like POEA.

The group is calling for stronger enforcement, updated dietary modelling, greater transparency on pesticide formulations, and reviews of other high-residue produce. “This is progress,” the group said, “but without enforcement and modern data, limits are just numbers on paper.”

For more information on the campaign, visit the No More Glyphosate NZ website.